theWord Commentaries

Beet – Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament (4 vols) (Methodist)

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• July 28, 2024April 24, 2024
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Beet, Joseph – Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament (4 vols) – Updated 2

Joseph Beet was one of England’s foremost Bible scholars. He wrote these exegetical commentaries in the Wesleyan tradition (and to some extent, the Methodist tradition, as defined at that time).

Commentary

1 and 2 Corinthians
Beet strived for a careful grammatical study of St. Paul’s words, to trace the line of thought they were designed to convey; and to look, through his actual thoughts while writing, into his abiding conception of the Gospel and of Christ … I hold firmly that the method here adopted is the only safe pathway to a correct and comprehensive and connected view of the truths which, through the lips of Christ and through the intelligence and the pen of His Apostles, God has made known to men.

The peculiar subject-matter of the Epistles to the Corinthians makes them a record of St. Paul’s movements a reflection of his surroundings, and a revelation of his inmost spiritual life. All these, St. Paul’s movements, surroundings, and spiritual life, I have tried to reproduce and combine to show the great Apostle and of an apostolic church. Unique to this commentary is the Evidences of Christianity. At great length I have developed the proof that the Epistles to the Romans and to the Corinthians came, practically as we have them now, from the pen of Paul. To those familiar with these epistles and with their literature, this proof may seem superfluous. For they know that no one calls it in question. But for my readers generally I thought it well thus to reveal the absolute strength of this first link in the historic chain which supports the Christian hope. And this example of absolute historic certainty, taking firm and visible hold of unquestionable matters of fact, is of great value as a standard with which to compare other historic evidence.

Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon
I have expounded the third group of St. Paul’s Epistles, those written during his first imprisonment at Rome. It is well that the four Epistles are expounded in one volume. For they are most closely related in thought and expression, and unitedly present a very definite phase of St. Paul’s thought. This rich development can be appreciated only by consecutive study of the whole group.

As before, my aim has been not merely to reproduce the sense which the Apostle designed his words to convey, but also to use his letters as a means of reproducing his conception of the Gospel and of Christ, in order thus to reach the actual teaching of Christ and those unseen realities which He came to reveal to men.

For two classes of readers I have written: students of the Greek Testament and for intelligent readers of the English Bible. The former will find a careful grammatical exposition of the Greek text of the Epistles; and will catch the reason for many English renderings which to others will seem harsh or even ungrammatical. They will notice that at every point, both in my translation and in my frequent paraphrases and summaries of the language of St. Paul, I have endeavored to reproduce the exact meaning and emphasis of the Greek words written by him. This frequent and careful reproduction of his meaning will also be of use to many who are unable to verify it by comparison with the original, but who wish to grasp, through the medium of their own language, as accurately and fully as possible the thoughts of the great Apostle.

Galatians
It must be admitted that the Epistle to the Galatians is not a general favorite. It is intensely doctrinal: and doctrinal theology is not only at first sight void of beauty but seems to belong rather to the college lecture hall than to practical life. Moreover, St. Paul’s arguments are difficult to follow: and the matters he discusses pertain apparently to questions which have long ago passed away.

But Christian doctrines are uninteresting and void of beauty only when our view of them is distorted or partial. For they are an attempt to comprehend and to present the Eternal Thought and Purpose of God’s Love to Man. And, just as this thought and purpose are the noblest conceivable outflow of the mind of God, so are they the noblest object of human research and the most fascinating object of human contemplation. Eternal Truth cannot but be beautiful, when seen in its real proportions. The possible unattractiveness of its first partial appearance is but the painful effort of the finite eye of man to adapt itself to the brightness of Infinite Grandeur.

Romans
This volume is the ninth edition of a work which has been for some years out of print. Its My purpose in writing and rewriting is to set before the readers the Gospel of Christ as Paul understood it, in order that by intelligent faith they may embrace the salvation announced by Christ, and thus find in Him eternal life: cp. John 20:31. In other words, my aim has been to bridge over nineteen centuries and to place modern English readers as nearly as possible in the position of those who first heard the epistle read at Rome.

It is therefore a contribution to Doctrinal Theology: for Paul wrote in order to set before the Christians at Rome an orderly, and within its limits complete, account of the Gospel. But it is in nowise dogmatic: for my statements and arguments rest, not on authority, but-on evidence adduced. My aim has been simply to learn and reproduce Paul’s own rational conception of Christ and the Gospel. And this is the highest aim of all Biblical research. This volume is also a contribution to Christian Evidences. Paul wrote and argued in order to produce and strengthen in his readers an intelligent conviction of the truth of the Gospel, and I have endeavored to reproduce his arguments.

My aim has led me to give special attention to the doctrinal contents of the epistle, to the broad theological principles which underlay the thought of Paul, and to the historic facts and eternal realities which underlie the Christian faith. This explains the notes on pp. 65f {Romans 1:28f}, 113f {Romans 3:22f}, 119f {Romans 3:26f}, the note on Election on pp. 279-82 (Romans 9:33f}, etc. The whole work is a study in theology at the feet of the great apostle.

e-Sword Edition
The download includes the Commentary module and the Reference Library module. The Reference Library module contains Beet’s dissertations and appendices, a good read in their own right.

Reference Library Contents:

1 Corinthians
—- Dissertation 1 — The Epistle To The Romans Compared With Those To The Corinthians
—- Dissertation 2 — The Book Of Acts Compared With The Epistles To The Corinthians And To T…
—- Dissertation 3 — The Chronology Of The Three Epistles
—- Dissertation 4 — Paul And The Church At Corinth
—- Dissertation 5 — Summary Of Results
—- Appendix A — The Epistle Of Clement Of Rome To The Corinthians
—- Appendix B — Doubtful Various Readings
—- Appendix C — The Revised Version

2 Corinthians
—- Dissertation 1 — The Epistle To The Romans Compared With Those To The Corinthians
—- Dissertation 2 — The Book Of Acts Compared With The Epistles To The Corinthians And To T…
—- Dissertation 3 — The Chronology Of The Three Epistles
—- Dissertation 4 — Paul And The Church At Corinth
—- Dissertation 5 — Summary Of Results
—- Appendix A — The Epistle Of Clement Of Rome To The Corinthians
—- Appendix B — Doubtful Various Readings
—- Appendix C — The Revised Version

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians
—- Dissertation 1 — The Epistles Before Us Compared With Those To The Romans, Corinthians, …
—- Dissertation 2 — Paul’s Conception Of The Church.
—- Dissertation 3 — Paul’s Conception Of Christ
—- Dissertation 4 — The Gospel Of Paul

Galatians
—- Dissertation 1 — The Book Of Acts Compared With The Epistle To The Galatians.
—- Dissertation 2 —The Epistles To The Corinthians And To The Romans Compared With That To …
—- Dissertation 3 — The Date Of The Epistle To The Galatians.
—- Dissertation 4 — The Epistle Of James Compared With That To The Galatians.
—- Dissertation 5 — The Gospel And First Epistle Of John Compared With The Epistle To The G…
—- Dissertation 6 — Justification By Faith
—- Dissertation 7 — The Cross Of Christ
—- Dissertation 8 — Summary Of Results

Romans
—- Doctrinal Results
——– Dissertation 1 — Paul’s View Of The Gospel And Of Christ
——– Dissertation 2 — Paul’s View Of The Way Of Salvation
——– Dissertation 3 — Paul’s View Of The Jewish Scriptures

About Joseph Agar Beet
Joseph Agar Beet was an English Wesleyan, born at Sheffield on Sept. 27, 1840. He attended Wesley College, Sheffield (1851-56), and took up mining engineering, but afterward studied theology at the Wesleyan College, Richmond (1862-64). He was pastor 1864-85 and professor of systematic theology in Wesleyan College, Richmond, 1885-1905. He was also a member of the faculty of theology in the University of London 1901-05. He delivered the Fernley Lecture on The Credentials of the Gospels in 1889, and lectured in America in 1896.

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